Accuracy vs Latency
Quick Reference: Throughput vs Latency | Step 9: Observability
Quick Reference
Accuracy: Precise results, may take longer
Latency: Fast results, may be approximate
Trade-off: Exact algorithms vs approximate algorithms
Clear Definition
Accuracy vs Latency trade-off: Exact algorithms provide accurate results but may be slow. Approximate algorithms provide fast results but may be less accurate.
š” Key Insight: Use approximate algorithms when "good enough" is acceptable. Use exact when accuracy critical.
Core Concepts
Approximate Algorithms
- Bloom Filters: Fast membership testing
- HyperLogLog: Cardinality estimation
- Sampling: Process subset of data
Exact Algorithms
- Full Scan: Process all data
- Exact Counts: Precise calculations
- Complete Analysis: Full accuracy
Use Cases
Approximate
- Real-time analytics
- Large-scale counting
- When "good enough" acceptable
Exact
- Financial calculations
- Critical decisions
- When accuracy required
Best Practices
- Choose Based on Needs: Accuracy critical = exact, speed critical = approximate
- Hybrid: Approximate for real-time, exact for batch
- Monitor: Track accuracy vs latency
Quick Reference Summary
Accuracy: Precise results but slower.
Latency: Fast results but approximate.
Key: Choose based on requirements. Approximate when "good enough" OK.
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